(3) OK, then log it immediately after you eat it: If you wait until the end of the day, you might conveniently forget that 3 p.m. vending machine run.

(4) Invest in plastic: Doing your best to weigh and measure your food will help control portion sizes. One shortcut: Buy inexpensive food storage containers in 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup sizes. Use them to portion out your favorite foods (and pack meals and snacks) so you're not always hunting for a clean set of measuring cups.

(5) Commit to just 90 days: In three months, you'll be a calorie-counting savant.

(6) Embrace routine: Calculate the calories on a handful of healthful breakfast, lunch and snack recipes that you enjoy. Then stick to them. It will make food journaling much easier and give you room to splurge.

(7) Come up with a reward system. Sounds silly, but what about gold stars on every day you faithfully keep your journal? And maybe a movie or a manicure for every 10 stars? And a massage or a round of golf for every 30?

(8) Investigate before dining out: Many restaurants put their menus online and include calorie counts that can easily transfer to your food journal. Use that information strategically: When your buddies are all standing around wondering where to go for grub, you can suggest the place that suits your needs.

(9) Don't sweat the unknown: If you end up being wined and dined at an exotic restaurant and find yourself puzzling over how best to calculate those unfamiliar ingredients and dishes, don't panic. And, whatever you do, don't ditch the journal just because it's not 100% perfect. Just do your best.

(10) Remember the 80/20 rule: If you can keep faithful track of your meals at least 80% of the time, you're already ahead of the weight-loss game.

Jerry Huang left his wheelchair at the side of the pool before gliding through more than 400 meters of water at this year's Coast 2 Coast Swim Challenge. From beginners to experts, people of all abilities swam laps to raise money for free swimming lessons for children and for people with disabilities.

So, there you are in the sunscreen aisle, where the number of products on the shelves is approximately equal to the number of grains of sand on a beach. How to choose? Read the labels. Your decision may still not be easy, but new labeling regulations should help.